Police: 'Suspicious activity' on Chicago-bound plane was just someone watching news on phone

Passenger Jenna Farella describes the events on Spirit Airlines Flight 969 that led to the removal of four passengers Nov. 17, 2015. The flight was en route to Chicago from Baltimore. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Passenger Jenna Farella describes the events on Spirit Airlines Flight 969 that led to the removal of four passengers Nov. 17, 2015. The flight was en route to Chicago from Baltimore. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Grace WongChicago Tribune

Four people were removed from a Chicago-bound flight in Baltimore Tuesday morning, and the plane delayed for three hours, after a woman became suspicious of a man who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent and who was watching the news on his phone, according to authorities and several passengers.

The woman grabbed her young daughter and rushed to the back of the plane, where she reported the man's "suspicious behavior," according to Sgt. Jonathan Green, a spokesman for the Maryland Transportation Authority, which patrols the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

The plane, Spirit Airlines Flight 969, was already taxiing down the runway. The captain decided to return to the gate and the man and two others in his row, another man and a woman, were removed, along with a man sitting behind them, Green said.

According to several passengers, names of four to five other people were later called out over the PA system and they were removed as well. But they apparently were allowed to continue on the flight, which didn't leave Baltimore until three hours later after the plane and luggage had been checked.

One of the men was released about 10:45 a.m. and the other three about an hour later with no charges, Green said.

"We did not find any criminal activity or violations of any kind and they were free to do what they pleased at that point," Green said. "One of the three males was sitting next to a female passenger and apparently he was watching a media report. I don’t know of what nature it was, but given current events, I can imagine what it was.

"Being in her shoes, I’m guessing that combined with what she saw or heard created some concerns for her," Green said. "She told the flight crew, which was most likely a flight attendant, and they spoke to the captain and the captain made the choice to go back to the terminal.”

Authorities say four people were removed from a Chicago-bound plane at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Nov. 17, 2015. (WGN-TV)

Authorities say four people were removed from a Chicago-bound plane at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Nov. 17, 2015. (WGN-TV)

“I’m not going to discredit the captain," he added. "He had the information there at the time and he made a decision based on the information. Our job is to respond to his request to remove the four individuals, and we took them to the station, interviewed all four of them, and we felt there was no indication of any criminal activity or violations.”

All passengers were removed until the Transportation Security Administration cleared the plane and luggage. The flight finally departed for O'Hare International Airport after 9 a.m., three hours after it was scheduled to leave.

Several of the passengers who arrived at O'Hare said at least two of the people removed appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent, which heightened their concerns because of the Paris attacks.

"You have no idea, I want to kiss the ground right now," said Jenna Farella of Wauconda, who said she had been sitting in the same row as three of the people who were asked to leave. "The whole thing happened right next to me."

WGN-TV

Passengers leave Spirit Flight 969 at O'Hare International Airport after it was delayed in Baltimore and four passengers removed.

Passengers leave Spirit Flight 969 at O'Hare International Airport after it was delayed in Baltimore and four passengers removed.

(WGN-TV)

“They were gearing up to take off when the woman with her child got up and walked very briskly to the back of the plane to the bathroom," Farella said. "The flight attendants were on the PA pretty aggressively telling them to sit down and she ignored them, kept walking and that’s when I started panicking."

After a few minutes, the pilot said they were headed back to the gate and to remain calm and stay in their seats because law enforcement officers would be boarding the plane. The officers briefly questioned several people and removed three men and a woman, she said.

Farella and other passengers thought the airline and police handled the situation well.

"I think someone's doing their job and I'm liking it," said Spencer Padgett. "You don't pay much to fly on Spirit but I got every penny's worth today."

Tilesha Northern, an attorney from North Carolina, said officials indicated to her that it was a matter of "see something, say something."

"The first people to get called were of Middle Eastern descent," she noted.

Green would not comment on the ethnicity of the passengers removed.

"There’s no burden to provide more detailed information about them," he said. "We’re not getting into the finer details on the individuals other than they were all adult, three males, one female. I would add that the three of the four were traveling together and the fourth just happened to take a seat next to the other group of three.

"Regardless of how this turned out here, it’s still important if people see something, combined with their experience, that if something doesn’t seem right that they should say something," Green said. "It’s better to have something investigated and cleared."